Fire rages in Norway heritage village

Fire rages in Norway heritage village

A general view shows the burnt out remains of buildings after a fire in Laerdal, western Norway, January 19, 2014. Police have launched a large-scale evacuation across a historic wood village in Laerdal district, after a fire began overnight at a house and spread rapidly. At least 90 people were hospitalized but no casualties were reported, according to news reports. (REUTERS/Arne Veum/NTB Scanpix)

A large blaze on Sunday raged through a historic village in western Norway, destroying many of its famed 18th- and 19th-century wooden houses and forcing the evacuation of local residents, police said.

The fire in the riverside village of Laerdalsoyri, some 200 kilometers northwest of Oslo, began in a house on Saturday evening and was still not under control by midday Sunday, fanned by strong winds. (AFP)